Shows
Jen Lowry - Monarch: Books That Matter Publishing Clean Reads for K12Welcome Back to the Podcast! Thank you for the prayers after the accident!Due to a severe accident (can't get into details) and family issues with my son (Sam's addictions), last year was a season of pause. It was one of the hardest years of my life, and I'm still facing daily battles. Even though Monarch was still moving through publishing, I felt like I was at a standstill and couldn't move forward. Now we are in a new year and I've still not healed. I'm making emotional progress with therapy, but physical pain is still with me daily. I can't stop what I love. Podcasting is what I love. So, thank...
2025-04-1613 min
Paulding County News PodcastPaulding County News Podcast: New Sheriff, Culinary Shake-Up, and School Hiring Updates in Paulding CountyWelcome to your Paulding County News Podcast! I’m Melissa Carter, along with Doug Harding. But first, let’s take a look at our top stories. --- **Top Stories:** 1. **Sheriff Election Results** - In a hotly contested race, Ashley Henson has emerged victorious over Chad Hunton by just over 1,800 votes in the recent primaries. Henson will replace the retiring Sheriff Gary Gulledge. This update comes courtesy of WSB. 2. **Culinary Scene Update** - Exciting news for food lovers in Paulding County! Mark Sullins, the owner behind the beloved local eateries Doug's Place and Big-un's Biscuits, has acqu...
2024-05-2613 min
The K-12 Tech PodcastK12 Tech Origins Series Ep. 5 with Don Ringelestein Pt. 1In this episode of the K12 Origins Series Podcast, host Zachary Marvel is joined by Don Ringelestein, current Director of Technology with a rich background in both the public and private sectors. Don shares his unconventional journey from a tech enthusiast to a philosophy major, shedding light on how critical thinking and ethical inquiries shaped his career. They discuss the evolution of educational technology, the importance of customer service and creating a positive team culture, and the transition from commercial tech leadership to impacting educational institutions. Listen and join us in learning Don's origin story!
2023-11-1327 min
The K-12 Tech PodcastK12 Tech Origins Series Ep. 4 with Bill Stein Pt. 2 on A broader Vision for Digital EqualityIn Part 2 of Episode 4 on the K12 Origins Series, Podcast host Zack Marvel continues a dynamic conversation with EdTech professional Bill Stein. In this part, they explore Bill's journey from local initiatives like Connect Me to national advocacy for digital equality.The conversation touches on transparent communication, building effective teams, and personal strategies for work-life balance. Bill's advice for aspiring tech directors includes staying true to oneself, embracing problem-solving skills, and overcoming imposter syndrome. Join us to learn more about the technological work Bill has done in his career.
2023-10-1317 minThe K-12 Tech PodcastK12 Tech Origins Series Ep. 4 with Bill Stein Pt. 1In Part 1 of Episode 4 on the K12 Tech Origins Series, Podcast Host Zachary Marvel sits down with Edtech professional Bill Stein. Listen as Bill recounts his experiences spanning 34 years, discover the highs, lows, and valuable lessons that shaped him into the tech leader he is today. Whether you're a teacher, tech enthusiast, or aspiring director, our podcast provides a dynamic blend of fun, education, and real-world insights into the dynamic realm of K-12 technology. Tune in, learn, and dive in on a tech journey like never before!
2023-10-1329 minThe K-12 Tech PodcastK12 Tech Origins Series Ep. 3 with Pete JustWelcome to Part 3 of the K12 Origins Series Podcast, where your host Zachary Marvel takes you on an insightful journey through the world of education technology. In this episode, we have the privilege of hosting Ed Tech Thought Leader, Pete Just, a nationally recognized expert who has left an inerasable mark on the educational landscape. Pete's extensive experience, including his instrumental role on the National COSN board, has played a pivotal role in shaping the rise of education technology. Join us in revisiting Pete's journey and upbringing within the industry.
2023-09-1456 min
The CoSN PodcastStudent Data Privacy in K12 Learning with Kerry Gallagher, S3E11Student privacy is a growing concern across K12 education. Although many digital tools and edtech providers have invested in student data privacy, many stakeholders are calling for more training, awareness, and cybersecurity in the classroom. How can we guarantee that students get the best possible experience leveraging edtech tools and that their data is secure and privacy safeguarded? In this episode of the CoSN Podcast, we discuss student data privacy, increasing awareness, vetting procedures, and more. There is no doubt that schools have a responsibility to protect student data and maximize student data privacy. In order to d...
2023-05-3136 min
The CoSN PodcastThe Necessity of Robust Cybersecurity for Sustainable K12 Learning, S3E10We must invest in effective cybersecurity to mitigate these risks and increase the health of our K12 schools. In the third part of this three-part series on K-12 Education and Cybersecurity, our guests share backgrounds, standards, and strategies for cybersecurity success. Overall this conversation highlights the multitude of factors that add up to increase the health and security of K12 data systems and cybersecurity. There is no doubt that the work of our guests and IT professionals across the education sector is essential. Today’s guests are Mayank Agarwal and Scott Gilhousen. M...
2023-04-2630 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastEngineering Meat Cruelty-Free, with Dr. Katie KamCultivated meat has the potential to disrupt the meat industry, and engineer Dr. Katie Kam joins the podcast to talk about it. Katie founded BioBQ, her startup that’s developing cultivated beef brisket. She explains how cultivated meat – also known as “cultured meat” or “lab meat” – is real meat that avoids animal slaughter by being grown in a bioreactor. Katie discusses her motivation for her work at BioBQ, including her Texas roots, love of barbecue, interest in ecology, and being vegan. She also highlights partnerships with the cattle industry, investors, and many different fields in science and engineering.Related to t...
2023-02-1228 min
ISACA PodcastCurrent State of Cybersecurity in K12ISACAs Director of Professional Practices and Innovation Jon Brand hosts Doug Levin, co-founder and National Director of K12 Security Information eXchange (K12 SIX), a national non-profit dedicated solely to helping schools protect themselves from emerging cybersecurity threats. Levin's work includes development and implementation of the nations initial and subsequent technology plans and well as creation of K-12 Cyber Incident Map, the most comprehensive database of publicly-disclosed K-12 cybersecurity incidents. Throughout this episode they discuss the often unique challenges for the underrepresented sector of U.S. critical infrastructure and current initiatives to bolster K-12 cybersecurity and privacy.
For...
2022-08-1648 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastSolve Real Problems and Win Real Prizes, with Autumn and George Dowdy and Ann WooThe Solve for Tomorrow design competition from Samsung is starting up again, and three guests join the podcast to explain how it works, and why schools and businesses should invest in K-12 STEM education. George Dowdy led his students at Porter High School to win the most recent competition, while Autumn Dowdy led her students at the same school to win before that. George and Autumn, an engineering education power couple, talk about what it’s like teaching engineering today and how the Solve for Tomorrow competition complements their existing curriculum. Ann Woo is the Senior Director of Corporate Cit...
2022-08-1056 min
The K-12 Tech PodcastEpisode 13: Handing off the Mic: Introductions with K12 Tech's Sean and MikeToday's podcast is more of a heads up that we're bringing on two new hosts to the crew! With Zach's busy schedule he thought it would be best to put the show in the capable hands of Mike and Sean. Two staff members who are both subject matter experts in our boots on the ground, but have more of a consistent schedule to do this in a biweekly manner.
2022-04-2720 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastThe Science Journal for Kids, with Tanya DimitrovaDo scientific research articles sometimes sound like another language? To K-12 students, very often it’s yes. Tanya Dimitrova tried to help solve this problem by founding the Scientific Journal for Kids, where her team of writers, designers, and teachers translates articles from scientific research journals into more kid-friendly language. Tanya talks about how her time as a science teacher in Central Texas influenced her to found this nonprofit, and then explains all the details that go into collaborating with scientists to make their work more accessible.
Related to this episode:
• Science Journal for Kids (SJFK): https://www.sciencejournalforkids.org/
• SJFK a...
2022-02-0348 min
HiTech Podcast037 | Glen Irvin: K12 v. HigherEd & NearpodEpisode 2 of Season 2 brings us an exhilarating conversation with our good friend and colleague, Glen Irvin. Glen is a bigger nerd than us only because he's been doing it a bit longer. Our conversation focuses on the relationship between EdTech in K12 and Higher Ed. Glen's insights help us see what's so different on the K12 side, but ultimately how most of us operate on the same rules of EdTech integration. Lastly, Glen gives us his top tech tool, and you know it's one of the HiTech team's favorites: Nearpod. For more information on these tools and our conversation...
2022-01-1152 min
The Happy and Healthy PodcastIntroducing the Happy and Healthy Podcast!Chartwells K12 in partnership with South Bend Community School Corporation proudly presents The Happy and Healthy Podcast! This is a monthly podcast that will explore stories from Team South Bend - you won't want to miss it! Please be sure to follow us on Spotify, YouTube and wherever you listen to podcasts.
2021-11-2300 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastTrans Engineers You Should Know, with Dr. Ada-Rhodes ShortMechanical engineer Dr. Ada-Rhodes Short studies robot brains, having previously worked in industry and academia for commercial toy companies, NASA, Texas A&M, and more. She also advocates for diversity and inclusion in education and STEM for trans people, including her time founding the Sexual Identity Forum at Baylor University. Dr. Short talks about one of her latest projects finding trans women engineers who have made pivotal contributions to the world.
Related to this episode:
• Dr. Ada-Rhodes Short on Twitter: https://twitter.com/The_Ada_Rhodes
• Sphero Robotics: https://sphero.com/
• SPRK+ robot: https://sphero.com/products/sphero-sprk-plus
• BB8: https://sphero.c...
2021-06-0239 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastLegendary LEDs, with Dr. Russ DupuisLEDs, or light-emitting diodes, have changed the world – and continue to do so. This energy-efficient electronics technology came from decades of design and discovery in engineering. Dr. Russell Dupuis is one of the engineers behind LEDs, and he recently was one of five winners of the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering for his work in this technology. Dr. Dupuis explains his contribution to creating thin-film electronics necessary for LEDs, starting from his university days in Illinois, and he also discusses its implications for the future. He currently is a professor of electrical engineering at Georgia Tech. This is a joint ep...
2021-03-0553 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastModernizing Army Training in Software and TechArmy Futures Command (AFC) is partnering with Austin Community College (ACC) in Texas to create a new Software Factory, which will be a software development training program for Army soldiers. Planned to start in January, it will blend training of both soldiers and civilians in newer tech practices in agile development. Maj. Vito Errico from AFC will co-lead the Software Factory, and he joins the podcast to describe its goals. Garrett Groves, Vice President of Business and Industry Partnerships, also joins the podcast to explain how ACC is uniquely aligned to support such a program. They also explain what K-12...
2020-11-1933 min
Engineering Word Of The Day: ARCHIVEScience isn't static -- Preview of The K12 Engineering Education PodcastThis is a preview of "Listen and Learn: Making an Audio Course for Doing Science at Home," a Season 5 episode of The K12 Engineering Education Podcast, produced by Pios Labs. Listen to the full episode soon at k12engineering.net.--- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/engineering-education/support
2020-08-2900 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastListen and Learn: Making an Audio Course in Science for KidsHow do you make an audio-based course to teach science topics to kids? Podcast creator, teacher, and musician Marshall Escamilla explains. Marshall is a co-creator of the highly rated Tumble Science Podcast for Kids. He drew on his podcasting experience and his years in the classroom to develop a “podcourse” for Himalaya Learning, focused on exploring the living things inside kids’ homes. In this conversation, he talks about the goals of the audio course, tips on better remote learning, free music resources for digital creators, and the response to COVID19 in his current home of Barcelona, Spain.
Related to this episod...
2020-08-2844 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastHow Can Model Railroading Teach STEM?Model railroading is uniquely primed for doing educational outreach today, says Stacey Walthers Naffah, President of Milwaukee-based Walthers. Walthers is a major model railroading company, distributing and manufacturing products for hobbyists around the world. Stacey discusses how the industry has a big opportunity to add to K-12 education, in history, science, technology, engineering, art, and math, whether it involves wifi-controlled trains or teaching kids to properly scale down 3D models. She shares that Walthers is looking for more ideas about how to partner with educators.
Related to this episode:
• Walthers: https://www.walthers.com/
• Profile of Stacey Walthers Naffah: https://onmi...
2020-06-2746 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastHow Do You Build a Career in EdTech?These teachers know tech. Steve Dembo and Victoria Thompson teach in K-12 and are also educational technology consultants. Steve is a middle school teacher and founder of the edtech consulting and training company Teach42, based out of Chicago, and Victoria is a math teacher in Washington and consults on edtech products for different large corporations. They guested on the show to describe how they got into this career path and what the field may look like in the future. Rachel Fahrig moderated the conversation, which is the postponed live podcast panel originally planned for SXSW Edu 2020.
Related to this episode:
• Or...
2020-05-111h 11
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastGreen Chemistry Invention in K-12The nonprofit Beyond Benign specializes in developing and disseminating educational resources in green chemistry – like how to create bioplastics, or thinking about a full product life cycle – and two guests from Beyond Benign joined the podcast to talk about it. Janie Butler is the K-12 Program Manager for the organization, and Eric Nash is a high school teacher while working as Lead Teacher for Beyond Benign. Originally scheduled to present at the SXSW Edu 2020 Conference in Austin, Texas, they discussed how chemistry and design can be integrated into the K-12 classroom, why this is important, and more. They also brainstorm ways...
2020-04-1151 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastShelter in Place, Go to SchoolRachel describes how her small Texas school district can function in the middle of COVID-19. As a school district administrator, she has to organize many major actions in this crisis, ranging from meal distribution to bolstering cybersecurity as teachers transition to online learning. Her team still must wrestle with many new questions as they come back from Spring Break.
Related to this episode:
• Austinites making face masks: https://www.kut.org/post/austinites-make-face-masks-help-fill-need-hospitals-face-shortages
• Remind: https://www.remind.com/
• Google Classrooms: https://classroom.google.com/u/3/h
• Istation: https://www.istation.com/
• Prodigy: https://www.prodigygame.com/
• Education Galaxy: https://app.educationgal...
2020-03-3135 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastTeach the Geek to SpeakAs a biomedical engineer in orthobiologics, Neil Thompson still had to do a lot of public speaking. He was a self-professed awful public speaker, but then he worked hard to improve his skills. Now he wants to teach other STEM professionals the same public speaking strategies he learned, so they can get better like he did. Neil talks about best practices for public speaking, his father’s influence on his education, and his children’s book on the science of black hair.
Related to this episode:
• Neil Thompson: https://teachthegeek.com/our-teachers/
• Teach the Geek: https://teachthegeek.com/
• Toastmasters: https://www.toastm...
2020-03-2631 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastNot SXSW LiveThe South-by-Southwest education conference for 2020 is cancelled, due to emergency declarations related to COVID-19. Pius and Rachel discuss what happens next, for educators in Texas and across the country.
Related to this episode:
• How Coronavirus Took Down SXSW: https://www.citylab.com/equity/2020/03/sxsw-cancellation-coronavirus-austin-music-film-festival/607669/
• How Do You Build a Career in EdTech?: https://schedule.sxswedu.com/2020/events/PP102219
• Past podcast episodes with Melanie Kong: http://www.k12engineering.net/guests/10
• State-by-state breakdown of 120 rural hospital closures: https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/finance/state-by-state-breakdown-of-120-rural-hospital-closures.html
Subscribe and find more podcast information at: http://www.k12engineering.net. Support Pios Labs with regular...
2020-03-1432 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastReal-World Learning in 2020Casey Lamb and Roger Horton work with the nonprofit organization Schools That Can. Schools That Can aims to promote real-world learning in education, with particular experience fostering real-world learning for younger students. This takes many forms, including collaborating with industry, teaching design thinking, and embracing the maker movement. Casey and Roger joined the podcast to talk about their National Forum on real-world learning in the digital age, as well as how real-world learning is evolving today.
Roger is the Director of Maker Programs with Schools That Can, as well as the lead practitioner on a National Science Foundation project for...
2020-03-1052 min
Engineering Word Of The Day: ARCHIVEEducation as a Societal Investment - Preview of The K12 Engineering Education PodcastThis is a preview clip of an episode of The K12 Engineering Education Podcast with Rick Kennedy, candidate for the US House of Representatives in Texas. Listen and learn more at: http://k12engineering.net/--- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/engineering-education/support
2020-02-2701 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastThis Engineer Is Running for CongressProject manager and software engineer Rick Kennedy is running for US House Representative for District 17 in Texas, in the 2020 Democratic primary. After decades working in tech, and after Trump was elected, Rick decided to run for office to try to solve difficult social problems and help end political divisiveness in the country. He joins the podcast to talk about his vision for universal pre-K, the costs of higher ed, rural internet, online disinformation, and more.
Related to this episode:
• Rick Kennedy’s campaign: https://rickkennedyforcongress.com/
• US House District 17: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas%27s_17th_congressional_district
• Texas ranked 3...
2020-02-2641 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastLeveling Up Your Career in EducationHow do you “develop your practice” as a teacher and administrator? Rachel and Pius discuss this question and share their thoughts on going deeper into their careers as educators, all after a dinner of Austin barbecue.
Related to this episode:
• Slab BBQ: http://realdopebbq.com/
• The cover art is a photo of the Slab BBQ wall, showing patches from the 10th Mountain Division: https://home.army.mil/drum/index.php/units-tenants/10th-mountain-division-li
• Highway 290 named for 10th Mountain Division: https://www.aaroads.com/guides/us-290-west-bastrop-tx/
• Math Anxiety: http://www.k12engineering.net/episodes/53
Subscribe and find more podcast information at: http://www.k...
2020-01-2618 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastInventing GPSHugo Fruehauf, one of the co-inventors of GPS, explains the nitty-gritty of what GPS is. He also details his critical engineering work on the GPS subsystem of the atomic clock. Hugo was one of four recipients of the 2019 Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering, along with Dr. Bradford Parkinson, Professor James Spilker, and Richard Schwartz.
Related to this episode:
• Hugo’s website: http://hugofruehauf.com/
• Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering: https://qeprize.org/
Subscribe and find more podcast information at: http://www.k12engineering.net. Support Pios Labs with regular donations on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pioslabs, or send one-time contri...
2020-01-1632 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastAustralian Trends in Engineering EducationLike much of the world, Australian educators are increasingly embracing STEM education for younger students. Chris Perkins is one such teacher at Keithcot Farm Primary School outside Adelaide, South Australia. He talks about a range of issues on his radar as a STEM teacher, including how he stays up-to-date, Australian inventions, how New South Wales is a leader in that country for education, and more.
For a video of the robot arm that Chris mentioned, see it here: https://youtu.be/L9rG8cD3pxQ
The cover art for this episode comes from Gilbert Toyne’s 1925 Australian patent on the ro...
2019-12-0355 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastQ&A with a Chemical EngineerWhat does a chemical engineer do? What makes a good one? What should young people know about the field? Chemical engineer Will Mullen helps us answer these questions and more. Will is a Process Engineer and Engineering Manager at a manufacturing plant for specialty chemicals in North Carolina. Before that he managed facilities and worked in chemical plants in Texas and Georgia, and he has been involved in youth leadership for many years.
Related to this episode:
• NC State Chemical Engineering: https://www.cbe.ncsu.edu/
• Skype a Scientist: https://www.skypeascientist.com/
• NC State Engineering Ambassadors: https://www.engr.ncsu.e...
2019-10-3154 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastCareer Advice for New Electrical and Software EngineersWhat should you look for in your first engineering job? How do you bridge high school, college, internships, and then finally full-time work? Is college worth it for the tech industry? Engineer and developer Omar Leyva gives advice on all this and more, speaking as an Android developer and computer engineer at Tile, a consumer electronics company in San Mateo, California. He also describes how his very first experience programming was C++ in college, how being a son of immigrants affected his views on college, and why people and company culture are so important for evaluating a job.
Related to...
2019-09-1840 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastRobots for Everyone!What do young people think about STEM fields today? Michigan STEM educator Danielle Boyer talks about her perspective as a recent high school graduate who teaches robotics to many young K-12 students. She talks about her lower-cost robot platform Every Kid Gets a Robot, her coloring books for STEM representation, young people’s college fears, and also her views on accessibility and diversity in engineering.
Episode cover art photo courtesy of Danielle Boyer.
Related to this episode:
• Danielle Boyer at the STEAM Connection: https://www.steamconnection.org/
• Every Kid Gets a Robot: https://www.steamconnection.org/robotics
• Fischer Unitech camps: https...
2019-08-3137 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastDistributed Programming for NewbiesDistributed systems rule much of new technology today, as software programs exist across multiple computers, servers, phones, and smart devices. How can students learn to program these systems? Start with a visual programming environment, says Dr. Akos Ledeczi from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. Dr. Ledeczi is an electrical and computer engineer who researches distributed systems and how to teach computer science. His research group created the NetsBlox block-based programming platform, based on SNAP and similar to Scratch, but it also has capabilities built-in for distributed or parallel programming. Ledeczi discusses the NetsBlox platform, their curriculum for teaching high schoolers...
2019-08-1227 min
Engineering Word Of The Day: ARCHIVE"Distributed programming" - Preview of an episode of The K12 Engineering Education PodcastHere's a sneak peek of an upcoming episode of The K12 Engineering Education Podcast, with guest professor and computer engineer Dr. Akos Ledeczi, talking about methods for how to teach kids and new programmers distributed computing or parallel programming. Stay tuned for more, or visit the podcast website: http://www.k12engineering.net.--- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/engineering-education/support
2019-07-3001 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastCybersecurity and Being HumanCybersecurity needs more professionals working in the field, and guest Nicole Bushong from Houston shares why. They explain critical issues today in digital crime, cyberwarfare, hacking, public safety, and diversity of the tech workforce. They also explain key aspects of their own path toward this field, including navigating the still male-majority field of cybersecurity, working in a women’s tech organization at The University of Houston, and getting educated while having dyslexia.
Related to this episode:
• Engie North America: http://www.engie-na.com/
• Women in Cybersecurity, University of Houston (WICSUH): https://www.wicsuh.org/
• HouSecCon, Houston Security Conference: http://houstonseccon.org/
• “...
2019-07-0753 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastTeaching Accessibility by Building Picture Books for the BlindHow can you teach universal design to kids and teens? Have them build accessible games and books, according to The Build a Better Book project, from The University of Colorado Boulder. Guests Dr. Stacey Forsythe and Dr. Kathryn Penzkover develop the Build a Better Book project at UC Boulder, which provides curriculum for schools and libraries to teach people to create books and games for the visually impaired. Along the way, they can learn about the design process, makerspace technology, the arts, empathy, and community engagement. Drs. Forsythe and Penzkover spoke on the podcast during South by Southwest (SXSW) 2019 in...
2019-05-1822 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastEducating a Cybersecurity ProfessionalIn this age of growing internet technology and connected computers, cybersecurity engineers and computer scientists will be more critical. Software engineer Sam Houston joins the podcast to talk about how she got into the security field, led by interests in computers and a desire to protect those in need. Sam is also a former student of Rachel, and we talk about key memories in her K-12 and college education – shoutouts to Miss Avery and Dr. Burris.
Related to this episode:
• Target hack in 2013: https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/target-settles-2013-hacked-customer-data-breach-18-5-million-n764031
• Sam Houston State University: https://www.shsu.edu/
•...
2019-04-2553 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastHighlights of SXSW Edu 2019If you missed the 2019 edition of the South by Southwest Education (SXSW Edu) conference in Austin, Texas, we rehash some highlights that you may have missed. We talk about empathy, accessibility, and a few new tech tools available to educators discovered at the conference.
Related to this episode:
• SXSW Edu: https://sxswedu.com
• UT McCombs School of Business: https://www.mccombs.utexas.edu/
• Yes, And game, as described by Mary Elisabeth: https://medium.com/improv4/saying-yes-and-a-principle-for-improv-business-life-fd050bccf7e3
• Build a Better Book project at CU Boulder: https://www.colorado.edu/project/bbb/
• Empathic lead user analysis, as described in a study: htt...
2019-04-0926 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastFixing School FinanceTexans across the state and across the political divide agree: public school funding needs fixing. What that means exactly, however, is tricky. In Part 1, Texas State Representative Donna Howard explains the school finance conundrum and its evolution over the years, along with some potential solutions floating around the legislature. In Part 2, political consultant Kolby Monnig argues that citizens must influence education laws by communicating with their representatives, and she demystifies that process. Lastly, in Part 3, educators, school support personnel, and unions rally for K-12 education reforms across the board.
Related to this episode:
• Representative Donna Howard: https://house.texas.gov/me...
2019-03-1241 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastWater Systems with the Army Corps of EngineersProblem-solving, technology, and public service all combine when you work as an engineer for the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). Dr. Michael Sterling, PhD, is a lead water resource engineer at the US Army Corps of Engineers, Southwestern Division, and he oversees missions related to water supply, flood prevention, hydroelectric power, and more issues affecting large swaths of the USA. Dr. Sterling also discusses how he came to USACE from the fields of chemical, civil, and environmental engineering, and how to help young people get on a similar path.
Related to this episode:
• US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE): ht...
2019-03-0419 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastArtificial Intelligence for KidsThe educational technology company Robolink is coming out with a new robotics platform for teaching kids the fundamentals of programming artificial intelligence (AI). Hansol Hong is the CEO and Founder of San Diego-based Robolink. Hansol discusses their latest AI education product Zümi, which won an award at the 2019 International Consumer Electronics Show for innovation. Hansol also talks about their Kickstarter campaigns, the ethics of AI in self-driving cars, drones, and more.
Related to this episode:
• Robolink: https://www.robolink.com/
• Kickstarter for Robolink’s Zümi: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/robolink/driving-into-the-world-of-ai-zumi
• Rokit Smart Robot kit” https://www.robolink.com...
2019-02-2544 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastMoney, Machines, and MoreEducator Rachel and engineer Pius introduce Season 4 and brainstorm about what interests us in K-12 engineering education today. We talk about school finance reform, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and more.
Related to this episode:
• Lego programming: https://www.lego.com/en-us/mindstorms/learn-to-program
• Article on Facebook security breach in 2018: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/28/technology/facebook-hack-data-breach.html
• Article on the Stuxnet virus applied to an Iranian power plant: https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2012/06/01/154162121/as-the-worm-turns-cybersecurity-expert-tracks-blowback-from-stuxnet
• AP CS Principles: https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-computer-science-principles/course
• Texas Legislative Sessions: http://www.tcdd.texas.gov/public-policy/texas-legislature/
• Article on how school finance works right now in Texas...
2019-02-1831 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastStaticsEngineers Sadhan and Pius continue an ongoing series of discussions on the fundamentals of mechanical engineering. Today they talk about what they remember about statics, forces, acceleration, moments, relativity, stars, and more.
Related to this episode:
• Statics: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statics
• Dynamics: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamics_(mechanics)
• Force: https://physics.info/newton-first/
• Newton’s Third Law: https://physics.info/newton-third/
• Theory of Relativity: https://www.space.com/17661-theory-general-relativity.html
• Moment: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moment_(physics)
• Golden Gate Bridge: http://www.goldengatebridge.org/
• Homeostasis: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeostasis
• Nuclear fusion: http://www.nuclearconnect.org/know-nuclear/sci...
2018-12-1341 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastThe Startup Reinventing Invention KitsWhat are the trends in educational kids’ toys today? How can programming kits be improved? How does an education business start and succeed? Entrepreneur Joseph Greer in Chicago discusses these issues as he describes his STEM education startup, MakeXchange, and its “Invention Lab” Arduino kit. The kit was designed to be more user-friendly and more organized than other Arduino kits. This is the start of Joseph’s goal to make the number one STEM education consumer product company.
***For a limited time this November, use the discount code K12ENGINEERING10 AT MakeXchange.com for a 10% discount.
Related to this episode:
• MakeXchang...
2018-11-0839 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastGames and Simulations in Construction EngineeringArchitectural and civil engineers are using rich digital tools to simulate constructed buildings. Similar tools are also being used in digital video games and virtual reality games that might teach future engineers. Dr. Fadi Castronovo speaks about his efforts to advance engineering education using simulations and games like these. Fadi is an engineering professor at California State University, East Bay (or Cal State East Bay), an architectural engineer by training, and an educational game designer. He also talks about his students’ game to teach sustainability practices, his favorite video games, and his background across the world.
Related to this episode:
• Dr...
2018-10-2354 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastReaching the High School Girls Who Didn't See Themselves in TechAmong the various STEM education organizations that have developed throughout the last several years, there is ChickTech. The local Austin chapter of the nonprofit began just a few years ago, and Dana DeFebbo, its Assistant Director, discusses how ChickTech Austin reaches out to high school girls who might not have had opportunities in tech. Dana talks about the challenges and rewards of running an all-volunteer program like this and her hopes for its future.
Related to this episode:
• Chicktech Austin: https://austin.chicktech.org/
• ChickTech: https://chicktech.org/
• OSCON, Open Source Convention: https://conferences.oreilly.com/oscon/oscon-or
• Microbits: https://microbit...
2018-10-0835 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastAn Architect in the ClassroomWhat skills does a professional architect bring to high school education? Guest Kelly Foster explains, as he shares his experience as both a practicing architect and a STEM teacher. He discusses his methods in teaching creativity and problem-solving in multiple areas of design, including civil and architectural engineering, architecture, and graphic design. He also analyzes the design of the new Central Library, part of the Austin Public Library system. Guest co-host Rachel also joins the discussion.
Related to this episode:
• Austin Central Library: https://library.austintexas.gov/central-library
• Science poster designed by Kelly Foster, “CAUTION! Science Teacher at Work”: http://www.k12e...
2018-09-1048 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastTruth in Storytelling: The Reality of Teachers' LivesAuthor Roxanna Elden discusses her new satirical novel Adequate Yearly Progress, which tells the story of the teachers’ lives across one year in the fictional Texas high school of Brae Hill Valley. Roxanna’s book draws on her own experience as a K-12 public school teacher and her conversations with other teachers around the country. Roxanna says that past portrayals of teachers in popular media can be very unrealistic, and her book is meant to challenge that.
Related to this episode:
• Roxanna Elden, author: https://roxannaelden.com/
• “Adequate Yearly Progress” on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Adequate-Yearly-Progress-Roxanna-Elden/dp/1732098700/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8
•...
2018-08-0645 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastLeaving Teaching for TechFormer teacher and current tech worker Sophia talks about why she left the classroom, how people perceive teachers, how to bring STEM to four-year-olds, and the value of communication skills in software development.
Related to this episode:
• AISD (Austin Independent School District): https://www.austinisd.org/
• General Assembly Web Development courses: https://generalassemb.ly/coding/full-stack-web-development
• Front-End, Back-End, and Full Stack web development, on Udacity: https://blog.udacity.com/2014/12/front-end-vs-back-end-vs-full-stack-web-developers.html
• “Stand and Deliver” the movie: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094027/
• “Texas at top of list for cuts in K-12 education” article in the Texarkana Gazette: http://www.texarkanagazette.com/news/texas/sto...
2018-07-3034 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastEngineers on EyesWhat’s so great about the human eye? Can we build something just like it? When would we need to design something better? Sadhan joins the podcast again as we give our engineers’ perspectives on these questions and more.
Related to this episode:
• Curriculum for Biomedical Engineering at Northwestern University: http://www.mccormick.northwestern.edu/biomedical/undergraduate/bachelor-of-science/curriculum.html
• Ohm’s Law, on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ohm%27s_law
• Anatomy of the eye, at the National Eye Institute: https://nei.nih.gov/photo/anatomy-of-eye
• The occipital lobe of the brain, on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occipital...
2018-07-0919 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastThe Future of Assessments in Engineering DesignNow that states have written engineering into K-12 science and technology learning standards, more institutions are thinking about how to run standardized tests in the subject. The educational assessments organization ETS is one institution interested in an in-depth, fair, and large-scale assessment for engineering learning. Deb Brockway, Senior Research Associate at ETS, talks about some of her work in this area, especially in engineering design. She describes a current research project to assess students as they work together designing in a virtual environment.
Related to this episode:
• ETS Assessments Development: https://www.ets.org/k12/capabilities/assessment-development/
• Deb Brockway’s email...
2018-06-2428 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastTeaching Science in PrisonScience education occurs in juvenile detention centers, as part of the schooling available to young people there so that they can receive their high school equivalency certification. Guests Rachel and Kasina talk about their experiences teaching science and other subjects to boys and young men in these institutions. They describe the constraints and opportunities in these classrooms and how they compare to schools on the outside.
Related to this episode:
• Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT): https://behavioraltech.org/resources/faqs/dialectical-behavior-therapy-dbt/
• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): https://psychcentral.com/lib/in-depth-cognitive-behavioral-therapy/
• High School Equivalency (HSE): https://hiset.ets.org/what
• GED high school e...
2018-06-1040 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastTeaching Computer Science Remotely to KidsVivian Shen and Ruby Lee want to teach kids how to program one-on-one over the internet. Vivian and Ruby are Cofounders of Juni Learning, their new educational startup that provides programming lessons to kids like how others provide private piano lessons. Although they both studied computer science at Stanford, they got to computer science at an older age than the kids they are now serving. They talk about why they started Juni Learning and the benefits and challenges of teaching CS live online.
Related to this episode:
• Juni Learning: https://junilearning.com/
• Email Juni Learning: hello@learnwithjuni.com
• Stanford Computer Scienc...
2018-05-2738 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastIntro to Mechanical EngineeringWhat is mechanical engineering? Engineer Sadhan Sathyaseelan joins the show again from The University of Texas to wonder out loud about all the important aspects of this classic engineering field. This is a continuing series of conversations introducing the fundamentals of different engineering disciplines. In this episode on mechanical engineering, we talk about thermodynamics, motion, manufacturing, mechatronics, design methodology, machine elements, and more.
Related to this episode:
• “Engineering 101” podcast episode: http://www.k12engineering.net/transcripts/ep55.html
• University of Texas at Austin Mechanical Engineering Degree Information: http://www.me.utexas.edu/undergraduate/degree-information
• The Game of Life: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardg...
2018-05-1442 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastSXSW EDU Live: Podcasting and Lesson DesignRecorded in the middle of South-by-Southwest (SXSW) EDU 2018, this episode features educator Rachel and engineer Pius. They discuss their immediate reactions to hosting two SXSW events this year, including insights on how to use podcasting for education and how to design lessons using empathic lead user analysis. Look out for future episodes from after the conference!
Related to this episode:
• SXSW EDU: https://www.sxswedu.com/
• SXSW Edu Session: “Podcast for Education Meetup”: https://schedule.sxswedu.com/2018/events/PP71654
• Educators’ favorite podcasts, from SXSW meetup: https://padlet.com/pioslabs/xzc0ox5ifomk
• Lab Out Loud podcast: https://laboutloud.com/about/
• National Science...
2018-05-0125 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastScience StorytellingMarshall Escamilla is part of a team of podcasters who create Tumble, a science podcast for kids and their families. With a background in music and K-12 education, Marshall shares the purpose of Tumble and how his show tries to tell science stories. Hear his thoughts on how to bring podcasting into the classroom, how to combine listening with other learning activities, and how science education is inherently political today.
Related to this episode:
• Tumble website: http://www.sciencepodcastforkids.com/
• Political crisis in Spain and Catalonia: https://www.politico.eu/article/catalan-chill-for-european-separatist-movements-aland-islands-south-tyrol/
• Radiolab on NPR: https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/radiol...
2018-04-2839 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastSXSW EDU Uncensored: Full RecapWe recap the South by Southwest Education conference (SXSW EDU) in 2018 after it ends, talking about the reactions of attendees, educational technology, PBS, escape rooms, political visitors, the educational pipeline from industry on down to K-12, ideas for future SXSW events, and more.
Related to this episode:
• Scandinavian Airlines direct flight between Austin and Stockholm: http://kut.org/post/scandinavians-apparently-love-sxsw-so-airline-flying-nonstop-austin
• The lingonberry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaccinium_vitis-idaea
• SXSW EDU (South by Southwest Education): http://sxswedu.com/
• SXSW EDU panel “Practitioner Perspective: Finding Edtech Efficacy”: https://schedule.sxswedu.com/2018/events/PP76404
• Example research paper on an educational product (a K-12 engineeri...
2018-04-1648 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastTracing Brain Circuits for Mental Health, with Dr. Talia LernerNeuroscience research needs help from many fields, including engineering. Dr. Talia Lerner describes some of the engineering tools that she uses to study neural circuits in animal models, especially involving dopamine. She is a professor and basic science researcher at Northwestern University in Chicago, and she studies these circuits in the hopes of improving mental health diagnoses and treatments. Dr. Lerner also shares her thoughts on what doctors, scientists, and engineers will tackle in future neuroscience work.
Related to this episode:
• Dr. Talia Lerner’s lab, The Lerner Lab: http://lernerlab.org/
• Videos of neurons visualized with new techniques: http://lerner...
2018-04-0830 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastEngineering 101What is engineering? What are the important aspects of engineering that anybody should know? Can we talk about all this without getting too deep into math? Engineer and researcher Sadhan Sathyaseelan joins the podcast to kick off a series of episodes meant to introduce engineering concepts to anyone, not just the people studying it in college.
Related to this episode:
• Article on Elon Musk on sending people to Mars: https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/11/elon-musk-says-mars-spaceship-will-be-ready-for-short-trips-by-first-half-of-2019.html
• University of Texas at Austin Department of Mechanical Engineering: http://www.me.utexas.edu/
• Engineer Your World: http://engineeryourworld.org/
• Fourier transforms, on Wikipedia: https://en.wikip...
2018-03-2527 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastAutonomous Vehicles, Now and LaterSociety is headed toward more driverless cars, self-driving cars, shared cars, connected fleets, and all kinds of autonomous vehicles (AVs). How will engineers of tomorrow deal with this technology? Dr. Kara Kockelman, Professor of Civil Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin, talks about her research in this area and current advances in the field. She discusses driver psychology, effects of AVs on the environment, the importance of statistics and computer science in her work, the difference between cars in Texas and California, and much more.
Related to this episode:
• Dr. Kara Kockelman’s work: http://www.caee.utexas.edu...
2018-03-1435 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastMath AnxietyAnxiety in engineering education sometimes comes from doing math. What does math anxiety feel like? What are its causes and effects? How do you deal with it, as a student and as a teacher? Guest cohost Rachel joins again to talk about these questions and possible answers.
Related to this episode:
• “Math anxiety” on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mathematical_anxiety
• Article on anxiety from too many choices, from The New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/27/your-money/27shortcuts.html
• Article on overcoming test anxiety, from The Princeton Review: https://www.princetonreview.com/college-advice/test-anxiety
• Rachel on Twitter: https://twitter.com...
2018-02-2627 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastImproving Underperforming SchoolsWe close out Season 2 with another visit from Rachel, an educator with experience in school improvement strategies. First Pius and Rachel discuss future plans to present sessions at the upcoming South by Southwest EDU conference in 2018, followed by an homage to Austin, Texas. Then the main discussion starts, as Rachel defines what “underperforming” or “failing” schools are and how STEM and engineering programs sometimes could be used to try to turn them around.
Mentioned in this episode:
• South by Southwest EDU (SXSWedu): https://www.sxswedu.com/
• SXSW session “Podcasting for Education Meet Up” https://schedule.sxswedu.com/2018/events/PP71654
• SXSW session “Designing...
2017-11-2033 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastAre All-Girls Engineering Classes Different?Teachers at all-girls schools might have insights on how to engage more young people – especially girls – into engineering. Several teachers at The Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders in Austin shared their thoughts in this two-part episode. In Part 1 (01:15) we hear from Shamaa and Shireen, two high school engineering teachers, and then in Part 2 (28:50) we hear from Patience, Simon, and Kristina, three middle school engineering and STEM teachers. They discuss teaching in a small school, differences between all-girls classes and co-ed classes, the importance of school culture, Project Lead The Way curriculum, advice for parents, and more.
Mentioned in this...
2017-10-3052 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastCoding Python in Middle SchoolHow can you bridge the gap between teaching simpler visual programming tools and teaching more complicated textual programming tools? Julia Lamorelle’s answer is Python. Julia cofounded Kiwi Compute, a new education business that focuses on teaching middle school kids how to code in Python, a language widely used in academia and industry today. She talks about why Kiwi Compute has this education strategy and how it executes it, despite challenges in setting up a Python environment and attracting qualified teachers.
Mentioned in this episode:
• Kiwi Compute: https://www.kiwicompute.com/
• Python language: https://www.python.org/
• Scratch: https://scratch.mit.edu...
2017-10-1632 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastVisiting Engineers VirtuallyHow can teachers expose their students to more engineering role models? What do they do if they don’t have time to arrange visits and field trips? That’s where Sarah McAnulty comes in. Sarah is a biology PhD student who also recently started Skype a Scientist, which is a free program to match scientists and engineers with K-12 classrooms. Sarah spoke with us about how the program helps more students get authentic interactions with STEM professionals.
Mentioned in this episode:
• Skype a Scientist: https://www.skypeascientist.com/
• About Sarah McAnulty: https://about.me/SarahMcAnulty
• Hawaiian bobtail squid: https://en.wikipedia...
2017-10-0215 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastDigital Pop Culture for STEMHow do you use the power of digital pop culture today to engage kids in engineering? Guest engineer Nehemiah Mabry, Ph.D., talks about this and more. Nehemiah is a practicing engineer in North Carolina and founder of his business STEMedia. STEMedia creates digital content to promote science, technology, engineering, and math.
Mentioned in this episode:
• STEMedia website: http://stemedia.org/
• Email Nehemiah: Nehemiah@stemedia.org
• STEMedia on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_stemedia/
• STEMedia on Twitter: https://twitter.com/_stemedia
• Technimetric STEM Poetry: https://www.nspe.org/resources/pe-magazine/march-2016/technimetric-poetry-stem
• National Academy of Engineering: http://nae.org/
• NASA Marshall Space...
2017-09-1826 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastMexico vs. USAWhat is engineering education like in Mexico compared to the USA? This episode is an introduction to that topic as we talk to Hernando Garrido, a mechatronics and manufacturing engineer with the medical device company Fresenius Medical Care. He talks about his experience growing up in the Mexican school system near the US-Mexico border in Reynosa. He also compares it to his experience studying and working in Texas and California.
Mentioned in this episode:
• Fresenius Medical Care: https://fmcna.com/
• City of Reynosa, Mexico: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reynosa
• Peritoneal dialysis machines: https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/kidney-disease/kidney...
2017-09-1021 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastScouting for Engineering EducationThe Boy Scouts of America are growing a new youth educational program called STEM Scouts, open to boys and girls. Guests Davis Fox and Deborah (Debbie) Vasquez talk about the mission of the program, which goes beyond teaching content knowledge in science, technology, engineering, and math. It includes teaching curiosity, teamwork, parental involvement, and other values that align with Scouting programs generally. Davis and Deborah also discuss the program impact on kids in the Austin, Texas, area so far.
Mentioned in this episode:
• STEM Scouts: https://stemscouts.org/
• Boy Scouts of America (BSA): http://www.scouting.org/
• Venturing program at BSA: h...
2017-09-0426 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastVerification and ValidationGuest engineer and consultant Pat Sweet, P.Eng., talks about two of his favorite words in engineering: verification and validation. They describe concepts whose importance cuts across all the engineering disciplines, and so engineering educators could also teach these fundamental concepts to kids and teens. This episode is a rebroadcast of two short episodes of Engineering Word Of The Day, a podcast on the favorite, fascinating, or funny words and phrases used in various engineering disciplines.
Mentioned in this episode:
• Engineering Word Of The Day (EWOTD) podcast: http://engineeringwordoftheday.com
• Engineering and Leadership blog and podcast from Pat Sweet, P.Eng...
2017-08-2121 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastRoad to Civil EngineeringWhat’s it like to engineer roadways and the physical infrastructure of society? Guest Jerel Rackley, P.E., explains. Jerel is a civil engineer with the design and consulting firm Atkins, and in his fourteen years of experience in the field, he has seen what it takes to succeed. Hear him talk about taking the Professional Engineer (P.E.) exam, working with clients, the importance of people skills, the future of advanced 3D modeling in civil engineering, and more.
Mentioned in this episode:
• Atkins: http://www.atkinsglobal.com/en-GB
• Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) exam, for Professional Engineer licensure: http...
2017-08-1427 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastRaising an Electrical EngineerHow do you make an engineer? Guest engineer Leyla Yilan shares her thoughts. Leyla is an electrical and computer engineer at chip-maker AMD, as well as a proud parent of two daughters. She tells her story of how she got into the field, explaining the importance of family and friends in pivoting her toward engineering. Then she talks about how she tries to expose her kids to different fields like she was. Also hear Leyla talk about equivalence checking, being a daughter of an immigrant, gendered toys, bringing your daughter to work, and more.
Mentioned in this episode:
• Maker Kids La...
2017-08-0734 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastSkateboard Mechanical EngineeringGuest mechanical engineer Beau Trifiro talks about his business in skateboard design, fabrication, and education. Based in San Diego, Open Source Skateboards not only builds custom skateboards, it also teaches kids in middle school and high school how to design and build their own boards. Beau talks about teaching hands-on projects, how he deals with kids making mistakes, and why he thinks studying mechanical engineering allows for so much creativity.
Mentioned in this episode:
• Open Source Skateboards website: http://www.opensourceboards.com/
• Open Source Skateboards on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/opensourceskateboards
• Open Source Skateboards on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/op...
2017-07-1726 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastChina vs. USAHow does China prepare students for careers in computer science and related fields, compared to the USA? Hear from a Chinese student of computer science and mathematics who is studying in Texas for his undergraduate degree. He talks about the notorious Chinese college entrance exams, similarities between math and computer science, perceptions of an American education and American companies among Chinese, and why he would have learned more programming at a younger age if he could have.
Mentioned in this episode:
• Districts of Beijing: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_administrative_divisions_of_Beijing
• Chinese college entrance exam photos: http...
2017-07-1022 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastInside a Startup After-School STEAM ProgramFounding an education business comes with challenges and rewards, far beyond the financials. Guest EJ Zain talks about this first-hand. EJ founded the startup Maker Kids Lab, LLC, in Austin, Texas. Her very new startup runs after-school programs for middle schoolers in science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM). In her lessons, Zain and her team of helper-teachers guide students of different ages to work together on hands-on, creative projects. She discusses her motivations for starting Maker Kids Lab as a parent, her strategies for engaging kids, and her hopes for creating a business with a social impact.
Mentioned in...
2017-07-0329 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastOvercoming StrugglesSome students struggle with trauma, mental health, mental disabilities, and negative peers and adults; and yet, with the right decisions and the right help, they still will become successful engineers. Hector is a computer engineer who has such a story. Although engineering and computers interested him early on, he faced several major obstacles on his path to getting an engineering degree. Hector talks about self-reflection, accommodations, and other supports that helped him overcome these obstacles.
Mentioned in this episode:
• Wolfenstein video game series, starting in 1981 to today: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolfenstein_(series)
• Info on accommodations for college students with...
2017-06-2027 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastOrganizations to Build an Engineering IdentityDr. Renata Revelo talks about the importance of identity when educating and retaining engineers. Dr. Revelo is an electrical engineer, a professor, and a researcher in engineering education at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She’s studied Latina/Latino students who participated in the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) during their education, and she found that the organization helped them better see themselves as engineers, without separating themselves from their own communities. As a follow-up to the previous episode of the podcast, this episode explores Dr. Revelo’s work with Hispanic students at the college level, while applying the...
2017-06-1220 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastEngaging Hispanic Students in EngineeringStart with what kids already know, when teaching them engineering. Have them work in their community. Guest Dr. Alex Mejia says you should tap into students’ existing “funds of knowledge” to raise engineering students’ achievement. He’s done research on this pedagogical style with Latino and Latina students, as a professor of engineering in San Angelo State University and soon-to-be professor at the University of San Diego (starting in August 2017). We talk about his research, his background and motivation for doing this work, culturally responsive education, and practical strategies to teach all students.
Mentioned in this episode:
• Dr. Joel Alex Mejia at the...
2017-06-0526 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastBest Movies for EngineeringWhat are the best movies and TV shows in entertainment for inspiring your thinking in engineering? Rachel, Sadhan, and Pius talk about their top suggestions, and they discuss how they affect perceptions of engineering.
Mentioned in this episode:
• Star Trek Voyager (TV show): http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112178/
• The Matrix (film): http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0133093/
• Hidden Figures (film): http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4846340/
• The Imitation Game (film): http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2084970/
• Ex Machina (film): http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0470752/
• Five Nights at Freddy’s (video game): http://fivescarynights.com/five-nights-at-freddys
• The Terminator (film): http://www.imdb...
2017-05-2333 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastAn English Teacher's Advice on STEMEnglish teacher and author Roxanna Elden talks about her tips for new teachers, how to form your personal Board of Advisors as a teacher, how to teach writing in any classroom, and more, in this discussion. She draws on her research talking to many other new teachers, as well as her own experience, to share advice.
Mentioned in this episode:
• Roxanna Elden on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RoxannaElden
• "See Me After Class" - book by Roxanna Elden: http://roxannaelden.com/sample-page-three/
• “Ten Writing Skills that All Teachers Can Reinforce,” article by Roxanna Elden: http://roxannaelden.com/2009/10/ten-resources-all-teachers-can-reinforce/
• “Teacher Dreams and Nightmares”: h...
2017-05-1623 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastEngineers' Favorite TeachersWhat makes a good teacher for future engineers? In honor of National Teacher Appreciation Week, we ask five practicing engineers about their favorite teachers growing up. The engineers come from different disciplines, and they all share the best qualities of the teachers who made an impact on them.
Mentioned in this episode:
• National Teacher Appreciation Week at the National PTA: http://www.pta.org/ThankATeacher
• University Interscholastic League (UIL) of Texas: http://www.uiltexas.org/
• Discover Magazine: http://discovermagazine.com/
Our closing music is from "When You Go" by Steve Combs, used under a Creative Commons Attribution License: https://creativecommons.org/li...
2017-05-0922 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastActive Learning in Computer ScienceWe talk strategies for teaching computer science (CS), with Dr. Cynthia Taylor, a computer science professor at The University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). Cynthia does research on effective CS education pedagogy, which includes active learning in the classroom. She talks about her research, how to handle not knowing all of CS when you’re teaching CS, the imbalance of experience in students’ experience with CS, and her own educational background.
Mentioned in this episode:
• Cynthia Taylor at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC): https://www.cs.uic.edu/~cynthiat/
• Paper on peer instruction for CS: https://www.cs.uic.edu...
2017-05-0237 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastTeaching EthicsHow do you teach ethics to engineering students? Guests Dr. Beccy Hambright and Richard Burgess talk about their experience tackling that question, particularly when it comes to students in K-12. They share their history at the Texas Tech University College of Engineering, where they supported students and teachers in engineering and engineering ethics. Hambright ran the Texas STEM Center until 2012, and Burgess teaches engineering ethics classes to students. Hambright and Burgess then discuss the importance of ethics in the field, pedagogical techniques for K-12, the importance of diversity, and project-based learning in class.
Mentioned in this episode:
• Murdough Center for En...
2017-04-2548 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastAerospace Engineering for Future PilotsStudying engineering might help you in your future career, especially if that future is in the Air Force. Today’s guest is a pilot who studied aerospace engineering for an undergraduate degree, and he explains how that education is still helping him now even as he learns to fly jets. He also gives ideas for what motivates students to learn about aerospace engineering, even if the content can sometimes be difficult.
Mentioned in this episode:
• Aerospace Engineering at the University of Illinois: http://aerospace.illinois.edu/
Our closing music is from "Late for School" by Bleeptor, used under a Creative Comm...
2017-04-1825 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastGaming Culture for Computer Science and Engineering EducationHow can we harness the power of games for education? In Part 1 of the episode, the podcast explores how the PAX South 2017 gaming conference inspired ideas in better engineering education. In Part 2, we hear from two team members of TEALS, a group supported by Microsoft Philanthropies that was also at PAX. TEALS has been around since 2009, matching volunteer CS professionals with K-12 teachers in schools and developing CS curricula. John Jannone and Brett Wortzman from TEALS explained how they already use games to teach computer science to K-12 students. They discuss how to use game design, content creation, and play...
2017-04-1140 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastJustice in Engineering EducationThe SXSW Education conference and festival this year highlighted equity, fairness, and justice as a major theme. How does this apply to engineering and computer science education? This episode explores the views of various speakers and attendees at SXSW, starting with Dr. Chris Emdin, who emphasized that education is a civil rights issue. Then it looks at the relevant views of college students, educational leaders, teachers, and industry professionals. Finally Aditya Voleti and Michelle Ching share their thoughts on equity in educational technology, coming from the perspective of two teachers-turned-entrepreneurs.
Mentioned in this episode:
• Dr. Chris Emdin’s SXSW Edu talk...
2017-03-2843 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastNew EdTech and More at SXSWRobots, role models, rap, and more all stood out at the 2017 South by Southwest (SXSW) conference and festival. Pius highlights products, programs, and ideas at SXSW that might especially interest engineering educators.
Mentioned in this episode:
• SXSW Edu: http://sxswedu.com/
• WE: https://www.we.org/
• AP WE (CS + service learning): https://advancesinap.collegeboard.org/initiatives/ap-we-service
• CS4All NYC: https://csnyc.org/our-work/cs4all
• Kahoot: https://getkahoot.com/
• GLICODE and Pocky: http://cp.glico.jp/glicode/en/
• Puzzlets from Digital Dreamlabs: https://www.digitaldreamlabs.com/
• PolyBot hydroponic system by Poly: http://mypolybot.com/
• Trashbots: https://www.trashbots.org/
• Kuri robot: https...
2017-03-2129 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastData Visualization Tips and TricksHow can we deal with data better? How can we teach kids to deal with data better? Sarah Morris from the nonprofit Nuclear Learning Network has some answers. She educates students and the general population on better data visualization, or dataviz, and how to use modern tools for dataviz.
Related to this episode:
• The Nucleus Learning Network: http://www.nucleuslearningnetwork.org/
• Art Science Gallery in Austin, TX: http://www.artsciencegallery.com/
• DataViz example at The Nucleus Learning Network: http://www.nucleuslearningnetwork.org/datavis/
• Social Explorer (mapping tool): http://www.socialexplorer.com/
• RAW (chart-building tool): http://rawgraphs.io/
• The Law & Order Database: ht...
2017-03-0725 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastOrthopaedics Engineering for Kids and TeensDr. Jenni Buckley and Dr. Amy Trauth-Nare from the University of Delaware talk about Orthopaedics in Action (OIA), their curriculum in biomechanics and engineering design for middle school and high school students. They used their respective expertise in mechanical engineering and K-12 education to create the hands-on OIA lessons, which originated from an initiative to attract more women into orthopaedics as engineers and doctors. Hear them discuss the curriculum, the benefits of lessons rooted in biology, educational partnerships, and lessons in toy design, among other topics.
Related to this episode:
• The Professional Development Center for Educators at the University of De...
2017-02-2134 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastYear in Review/PreviewPius, Rachel, and Sadhan reunite to talk about big news in engineering education from 2016 (Part 1: 00m20s), followed by a politically flavored discussion about 2017 (Part 2: 15m20s). If you liked Season 1 and want to help keep Season 2 afloat, please consider pledging a monthly contribution at my new Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/pioslabs. You’ll be helping me continue to talk to awesome people and share it with you. Thanks!
Related to this episode:
• “College Board Hopes to Broaden Access to Coding with New ‘AP Computer Science Principles’ Course,” Edsurge: https://www.edsurge.com/news/2016-07-25-college-board-hopes-to-broaden-access-to-coding-with-new-ap-computer-science-principles-course
• “AP Computer Science...
2017-02-1332 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastAutism in the Engineering ClassroomIn the big push for more engineers today, can we get them from autistic students? Research has shown that college students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) go into science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields more than students without ASD. We speak with one of the researchers who studied this phenomenon, Dr. Jennifer Yu of SRI International (Part 1 @ 01:00), and we also discuss community colleges, universal design, and why learning to educate autistic students better can help educate all students better. Then we hear from occupational therapist and doctoral candidate Marci Schneider in Florida (Part 2 @ 21:25). In her eighteen years of...
2016-12-2040 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastThe Nonprofit Push for Girls in EngineeringHear from two nonprofit organizations trying to provide girls with more education in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). In Part 1 (start @ 00:59), we visit Girlstart, a Texas-based nonprofit that reaches thousands of girls from 4th grade up to junior high with hands-on programs. Executive Director Tamara Hudgins shares what it’s like to develop the program over the past years and into the future. In Part 2 (start @ 27:27), we talk to the founders of Scientific Adventures for Girls, a newer nonprofit around Oakland, California, that targets younger girls in early elementary. Courtenay Carr-Heuer and Tiffany Sprague are using their experience in...
2016-12-1247 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastCAD vs. EngineeringStep into the classroom of 16-year veteran CAD teacher Audrea Moyers. Audrea also teaches engineering design, and she talks about how the pathway of CAD and engineering classes at her school link up. What are her thoughts on the different CAD packages out there? How do you integrate more design into a CAD class, and vice-versa? Where do you teach drawing by hand? Hear about all this and more in this conversation.
Mentioned in this episode:
● AutoCAD: http://www.autodesk.com/products/autocad/overview
● SolidWorks: http://www.solidworks.com/
● CAD program at...
2016-12-0621 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastBetter BrainstormingHigh school engineering teacher Joe Malchar helps Pius and Sadhan review the guidelines for effective brainstorming. Joe talks about some common misconceptions and challenges related to brainstorming and how he uses it in his classroom. We have a live brainstorming session to come up with exciting and new engineering lessons for students in K-12.
Mentioned in this episode:
● Our open brainstorm session: https://padlet.com/pioslabs/24onnj6e8r6n
● Our original brainstorm session (closed, organized): https://padlet.com/pioslabs/lheqof5cw4
● Padlet mind-map tool: https://www.padlet.com
● Gliffy...
2016-11-2225 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastOwn Your Curiosity: High School Reimagined"What else can high school look like?" Mikala Streeter wondered about that question as her career expanded from the computer science industry into teaching young people and nurturing their passions. Mikala is Principal and Lead Teacher at the LIFE School, an independent high school that she founded in Atlanta, Georgia. She talks about the philosophy of The LIFE School, which focuses on curiosity, real-world work, and breaking barriers among disciplines. As an MIT grad, she also highlights how her students integrate design thinking into their interdisciplinary self-directed projects.
Mentioned in this episode:
● The Life Scho...
2016-11-1527 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastIce Cream EngineeringTeach engineering using something that a lot of kids and adults love: ice cream. We get expert advice on the technology and methodologies behind making ice cream from guest Joe Morris, production manager or "ice cream man" from Amy's Ice Creams in Austin. He gives a tour of the Amy's ice cream production facility and explains how art, science, technology, and engineering come into play. Also engineering teacher and chemical engineer Melanie Kong talks about potential ways to connect this to the classroom.
Mentioned in this episode:
● Amy's Ice Creams: http://amysicecreams.com
● V...
2016-11-0834 min
K12 HR Solutions PodcastFLSA Update for School District Leaders On this episode of the K12 HR Solutions Podcast I’ll discuss: Changes from the Department of Labor that will take effect December 1, 2016 Exemptions under FLSA and which ones are more likely to affect school districts How these changes will likely impact school districts How school districts can prepare for new […]
The post New FLSA Update for School Districts appeared first on .
2016-09-1800 min
The K12 Engineering Education PodcastWhy K12 Engineering? (Pilot)In our inaugural episode of The K12 Engineering Education Podcast, guests Rachel Fahrig and Sadhan Sathyaseelan speak with host Pius Wong about the importance of teaching engineering at younger ages, and the questions we'd like to answer about this field in the future.
Thanks to Jeff Munn for help on sound. Our opening music comes from "School Zone (radio edit)" by The Honorable Sleaze, and our closing music is from "Late for School" by Bleeptor. Both are used under a Creative Commons Attribution License: creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Let me know what you want to talk about in K12 Engineering...
2016-05-3123 min